Changeable neon sign



Feb. 12, 1935. H, 5 KATZ CHANGEABLE NEON 5 IGN Filed Aug. 24, 1933 ATTORNE Patented Feb. 12, 1935 I UNITED STATES CHANGEABLE ,NEON SIGN Herman S. Katz, CincinnatLfO hio, assignor to Samuel Levites and Isadore Nathan, both of Cincinnati, Ohio ApplicationAugust 24, 1933, Serial No. 686,566

90mins, (c1.40-130) My'invention-relates to means for detachably andinterchangeably supportingneon tubing in operative position.

Heretofore: neon signs have been so cone ,5 st'mct'ed that the glass tubing comprising the plurality of converging elastic tongues.

wording and positive and. negative electrodes have. been permanently attached to thesign or casing; the electrodes being insertedin housings in the casing and the tubing attached by means-of awire cord which was then made fast to the-casing. When new wordingwas desired it was necessary to dismantle the entire sign; that is, it'was necessary to open the sign, the wires supporting the tubing would have to be removed, new holes wouldhave tobe put in the sign and the housings holding the electrodes re positioned'to accommodate the new wording;

it would then also have to be wired as in the first instance. I I

'l he'objectof my invention is to provide Sim-- ple, efficient; convenient, durable and inexpensive means whereby the positive and negative electrodes of aneon tubing may be readily inserted in a sign cabinet in an operative position, or 'as readily'removed' therefrom, for the purpose of substituting a neon tubing of diiferent wording or modified form.

In the drawing which serves to illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a sign cabinet having my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the cabinet with the bottom coverremoved;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of a rubber diaphragm embodyingmyinvention. A

In the embodiment of my invention as illustrated and which shows a preferred construction I provide a disc 1 preferably of rubber or other suitable resilient or elastic material having intersecting slits 2 converging at the center and extending outwardly therefrom in the manner of spokes as illustrated in Fig. 4 andforming a This disc 1 is positioned as a diaphragm in the openings 3 preferably placed at the ends of the cabinet 4 on its face 5. Extending inwardly and mounted on the inner side of the facet are porcelain housings 6 and '7 adapted tovreceive positive and negative electrodes 8 and 9, respectively, of tubing 10 when said electrodes are inserted in the openings 3 in the face of the cabinet. The electrodes 8 and 9 form the ends of the neon tubing or wording 10 and are giving perfect horizontalvision. understood that any number of these openings together with rubber discs and housings may be: j applied to a cabinet the size of the cabinet govadapted to contact the electrical posts 11'and12 whereby electrical energy is transmitted to t'he rare"gases in said neon tubingl'o, through con+ ductors l3 and transformer M. R

A saucer-shaped protective metal cap -15*having" anopening 16 is mounted over the openings 3- in face 5. Circular rings of'mica 1'7 and-f18 are interposed between the face 5, disc 1, and housingsfi and '7, respectively. Bolts 19 and 19 together with'nuts 20 and 20" are the means of fastening the housing,-protective cap, elastic rubber disc and mica insulators to the cabinet;

,Similar housings 23 and 24- 'may' be-mounted may be observed without the effortof the ob-'- server looking down upon'it; orthe cabinet may be suspended by chains 25" in which caseit is so balanced that the; face is absolutely straight in a perpendicular planeto the ground thereby It is to be erning the number accordingly. i

It can readily beseen, when the electrodes ar V inserted through the openingsB, they will be securely but removably held by the converging elastic tongues of the rubber discs 1, thereby eliminating the use of any other fastening means, such as wires, tohold the tubing in proper position. i In this manner tubing of different wording may be, readily and easily substituted 2. In a changeable neon sign, a cabinet pr o-,

vided with electrical connections therein, openings in said cabinet, a non-conducting resilient support mounted in each opening and provided with a plurality of converging elastic teeth, in combination with a neon tube detachably and adjustably mounted in each opening, said teeth yieldably but firmly engaging said tubes and said teeth projecting inwardly, in contact with the tube when it is being inserted and reversing their position and projecting outwardly when said tube is being removed.

3. In a changeable neon sign, a cabinet provided with an opening, a housing mounted in said cabinet opposite said opening, an elastic non-conducting member attached to said housing and cabinet and having'an orifice provided with converging elastic reversible teeth adapted to detachably receive and yieldably support a neon sign tube. 1

4. In a changeable neon sign, a cabinet provided with an opening, a housing mounted in said cabinet opposite said opening, mica rings and an elastic non-conducting member interposed between said mica rings, said mica rings and elastic non-conducting member being securedtbetween said housing and said opening.

opening in said cabinet, a housing secured within saidcabinet opposite, said opening and hav- 7 ing a spring electrical contact member in its inner end connected to one of said electrical connections, an elastic rubber disc mounted in said opening and having a plurality of intersecting slits forming elastic converging teeth, and a mica ring interposed between said disc, housing and cabinet respectively.

7. In a changeable neon sign, a cabinet, electrical connections therein, a housing attached to said cabinet and to one of said electrical connections and having a spring electrical contact therein, said cabinet having an opening opposite said housing and having a non-conducting elastic disc provided with a plurality of supporting converging co-operating tongues, in combination with a detachable neon sign tube having an end projecting through said disc into engagement with said spring electrical contact and out of engagement with said housing and yieldably supported therein by said tongues.

8. In a changeable neon sign, a cabinet hav ing an, opening therein, a housing disposed in said cabinet opposite said opening, an electrical connection mounted in said housing and having a contact on its interior, a rubber disc mounted across said opening and having a plurality of intersecting slits whereby a plurality of converging elastic ,teeth, are formed, a mica ring interposed betweensaid housing and cabinet on each side of said rubber disc, a protective cap having an ,openingtherein mounted adjacent said first-named openingand means for securin said parts together, in combination with a neon tube terminal detachably extending into said housingin spaced-apart relation therefrom to form engagement with said electrical connection and be supported out of fcontact'with said housing by said yieldable teeth, which teeth are reversible when saidterminal is, withdrawn for the purpose of replacing it with a new tube or substituting another sign in place thereof.

9. In a changeable neon sign, a cabinet having a base, face and top, said face being at an acute angle to the baseiand said top in a-plane out of parallel with the base, said face being provided with a pair of openings and a flexible nonconducting member mounted in each of said openings provided with intersecting slits forming elastic reversible teeth adapted todetachably receive and yieldably support a removable neon sign tube. v i

HERMAN S. KATZ. 

